Process of solidifying soil



Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE No Drawing.

Original application August 11, 1931, Serial No. 556,466.

Divided and this application September 28, 1936, Serial No. 103,056

3 Claims. (-01. 6136) My invention relates to the process of solidifying soil and is a division of my co-pending application, Serial Number 556,466, filed August 11, 1931.

5 An essential object of this invention is to provide an improved process for solidifying desired portions of the earth's strata, particularly the subsoil about, and in the vicinity of an oil well.

Another object is to stop the subsoil caving in .0 and to prevent liquids or gases from leaking out of the opening of an oil well, into the loose material, cavities or interstices of the earth's strata.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved composition for use with this procl5 ess which is initially in liquid or plastic form and which is adapted to be forced into the interstices, cavities or loose material about an opening, such as an oil well or drill hole, the liquid entering the interstices or cavities for a substantial distance from the opening or well and having such characteristics that the liquid will quickly solidify the porous soil or subsoil into which it is forced.

In the carrying out of this process, a liquid is provided wherein an aqueous dispersion of a bituminous substance forms an essential element or the composition. Emulsified asphalt is an example of such substance which may be used as an element of the composition. In the practice of this invention a fibrous element may be mixed with the aqueous dispersion of the asphalt, or the latter may be used alone. Such fibrous element may consist of comminuted fibrous materials such as paper, rag pulp, wood pulp, asbestos or other fibrous compounds, and a suitable precipitating agent. Such agents may be calcium chloride, bi-

carbonate of soda, aluminum sulphate, sodium chloride, lime or other alkalies in powder or in solution, and with or without a solidifying agent such as Portland orhydraulic cement.

The characteristics of the composition necessary to solidify a particular subsoil are to be determined by an analysis of samplw of the soil,

to determine the need for particular elements of the composition and to determine the penetrating characteristics of the bituminous dispersion, either alone or upon deposit of the fibrous materials when such are, used, beyond the point of 5 such deposit.

The composition is applied under pressure, which effects a deposit of the fibrous particles and a cohesion of the soil particles. The liquefied solution will penetrate to a depth beyond the 10 deposit of the fibrous particles so as to increase the' depth of solidification of the subsoil. The fibrous material provides a filler for the cavities or interstices of the soil, which will cooperate with the chemical properties of the composition 15 in forming a solid body about the well opening at the points where it is desired to solidify the soil or particular earth's strata.

When used alone, the aqueous bituminous dispersion will coagulate at the desired depth of penet-ration of the subsoil or earth's strata, in accordance with the density of the composition and the porosity of the soil. These latter elements are determined in advance of used the composition, by tests as aforesaid.

What I claim is:

1. A process for making impervious or fixing pervious or loose subsoil layers, such as sand soils, and other porous masses, which consists in causing an aqueous dispersion of a bituminous substance to penetrate into the soil or mass to be treated.

Y 2. Aprocess for solidifying soil in the vicinity of an oil well, which comprises causing an aqueous bituminous dispersion to penetrate into the 35 soil to be solidified.

3. A process for solidifying subsurface soil in the vicinity of ,anoil-well, which comprises causing an aqueous bituminous dispersion to penetrate into the soil to be solidified and to coagulate 40 therein.

FRANCIS D. SULLIVAN. 

